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USenakheribhi Usongela IJerusalema
1 Ngemva kwakho konke lokhu uHezekhiya ayekwenze ngokwethembeka, kweza uSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya wahlasela elakoJuda. Wavimbezela amadolobho ayelezinqaba, edinga ukuwanqoba abe ngawakhe. 2 UHezekhiya uthe ebona ukuthi uSenakheribhi usefikile njalo uhlose ukuhlasela iJerusalema, 3 wabuza izikhulu zakhe kanye labebutho ukuthi kwakungaba njani ukuthi kuvalwe amanzi avela emithonjeni engaphandle kwedolobho, bahle bamncedisa. 4 Ixuku elikhulu lamadoda labuthana, lakanye bawavala amanzi awemthonjeni lawesifula esasidabula phakathi kwelizwe. Bathi, “Kungani amakhosi ase-Asiriya afanele afice amanzi amanengi na?” 5 Ngakho wasebenza ngamandla evuselela umduli lokwakha imiphotshongo phezu kwawo. Wakha omunye umduli ngaphandle kwalowo waseqinisa imithangala eyayivele ingeyoMuzi kaDavida. Wenza lezikhali lezihlangu ezinengi kakhulu.
6 Wabeka izikhulu zebutho zaphatha abantu wasezimisa phambi kwakhe egcekeni lesango elingasedolobheni wazikhuthaza ngalamazwi: 7 “Qinani libe lesibindi. Lingesabi njalo lingethuselwa libutho elikhulu kangaka lenkosi yase-Asiriya ngoba kulamandla amakhulu akithi adlula akuye. 8 Yena ulengalo yenyama kuphela, kodwa thina siloThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ukusisiza lokusilwela izimpi zethu.” Abantu baba lesibindi ngenxa yalokho okwatshiwo yinkosi yakoJuda uHezekhiya.
9 Muva, uSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya lawo wonke amabutho akhe esavimbezele eLakhishi, wathuma izikhulu zakhe eJerusalema ziphethe lelilizwi elalisiya kuHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kanye labantu bonke abakoJuda abebekhona lapho wathi:
10 “Nanku okutshiwo nguSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya uthi: Usithatha ngaphi wena isibindi, esokuthi wale ulokhu useJerusalema yona ivinjezelwe? 11 Nxa uHezekhiya esithi, ‘UThixo uNkulunkulu wethu uzasisindisa ezandleni zenkosi yase-Asiriya,’ uyalikhohlisa, ukuba life ngendlala langomhawu wamanzi. 12 UHezekhiya akasuye yini ngokwakhe owasusa izindawo zikankulunkulu lowu eziphakemeyo lama-alithare, esithi kuJuda leJerusalema, ‘Kumele likhonzele e-alithareni elilodwa njalo litshisele kulo imihlatshelo na’?
13 Kutsho ukuthi alikwazi yini lokho engikwenzileyo lalokho okwenziwa ngobaba ebantwini bamanye amazwe na? Kambe onkulunkulu balezozizwe benelisa yini ukukhulula ilizwe labo esandleni sami na? 14 Nguphi kubo bonke onkulunkulu bamazwe balezozizwe ezabhujiswa ngobaba owake wenelisa ukukhulula abantu bakhe kimi na? UNkulunkulu wenu angalikhulula njani esandleni sami? 15 Qaphelani lingakhohliswa nguHezekhiya limyekele elilahlekisa. Lingamethembi, ngoba kakho unkulunkulu loba ngowasiphi isizwe loba yiwuphi umbuso oseke wenelisa ukukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami loba esandleni sabokhokho. Pho kanganani ukuba owenu unkulunkulu angalikhulula yini esandleni sami!”
16 Izikhulu zikaSenakheribi zaqhubekela phambili zikhuluma kubi ngoThixo uNkulunkulu langenceku yakhe uHezekhiya. 17 Inkosi yaloba lezincwadi ithuka uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, isitsho lokhu okubi ngaye: “Njengoba onkulunkulu babantu bamanye amazwe behluleka ukukhulula abantu babo esandleni sami, kuyafanana kunjalo uNkulunkulu kaHezekhiya kasoze enelise ukukhulula abantu bakhe esandleni sami.” 18 Basebememeza ngesiHebheru ebantwini baseJerusalema ababephezu komduli, bebethusela ukuze besabe babesebethumba idolobho. 19 Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu weJerusalema njengalokho abakwenza ngabonkulunkulu babanye abantu bemhlabeni, izinto ezibunjwe yizandla zabantu.
20 INkosi uHezekhiya lomphrofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi bakhala ngomkhuleko ngalokhu. 21 UThixo wathuma ingilosi, eyabhubhisa wonke amadoda empi labakhokheli lezikhulu enkambeni yenkosi yase-Asiriya. Ngakho wabuyela elizweni lakhe ngokuyangeka. Esengene ethempelini likankulunkulu wakhe, amanye amadodana akhe amjuqa ngenkemba.
22 Ngalokho uThixo wamsindisa uHezekhiya labantu baseJerusalema esandleni sikaSenakheribhi inkosi yase-Asiriya lakuzo zonke ezinye izitha. UThixo wabavikela wabaphatha kuhle inxa zonke. 23 Abanengi balethela uThixo iminikelo eJerusalema kanye lezipho eziligugu kuHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda. Kusukela lapho waba lesithunzi wahlonitshwa yizizwe zonke.
Ukuziqhenya, Ukuphumelela Lokufa KukaHezekhiya
24 Ngalezonsuku uHezekhiya wagula eselengela ekufeni. Wakhuleka kuThixo, wamphendula ngokumnika isibonakaliso. 25 Kodwa inhliziyo kaHezekhiya yagcwala ngokuzikhukhumeza ngakho kazange azihluphe ngesihawu ayesitshengisiwe; ngakho intukuthelo kaThixo yehlela phezu kwakhe lasebantwini bakoJuda labaseJerusalema. 26 Ngakho uHezekhiya waphenduka ukuzikhukhumeza ngenhliziyo yakhe, labantu baseJerusalema labo benza njalo; ngalokho ulaka lukaThixo alusabehlelanga ngezinsuku zikaHezekhiya.
27 UHezekhiya wayelenotho enengi njalo elodumo, wasesakha izindlu zokulondolozela isiliva sakhe legolide kanye lamatshe akhe aligugu, iziyoliso, izihlangu lakho konke okunye okuligugu. 28 Wakha njalo iziphala zokugcinela amabele, iwayini elitsha lamafutha, wakha izibaya zemihlobo eyehlukeneyo yenkomo, lezibaya zemihlambi yezimvu. 29 Wakha imizi wazuza imihlambi yezimvu leyenkomo, ngoba uNkulunkulu wamnika inotho enkulu kakhulu.
30 UHezekhiya nguye owavala amanzi entombo yangaphezulu kweGihoni wawadonsa agelezela ngentshonalanga koMuzi kaDavida. Waphumelela kukho konke ayekwenza. 31 Ekufikeni kwamanxusa ayethunywe ngababusi beBhabhiloni bezobuza ngomangaliso owawenzakele elizweni, uNkulunkulu wamtshiya ukuze amhlole ukuthi azi konke okwakusenhliziyweni yakhe.
32 Ezinye izehlakalo ngokubusa kukaHezekhiya lemisebenzi yakhe yokuzinikela kulotshiwe embonweni womphrofethi u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi egwalweni lwamakhosi akoJuda lawako-Israyeli. 33 UHezekhiya waphumula labokhokho bakhe wangcwatshwa eqaqeni lapha okulamangcwaba abosendo lukaDavida. AbakoJuda bonke labantu baseJerusalema bamhlonipha ekufeni kwakhe. Kwathi uManase indodana yakhe wathatha isikhundla waba yinkosi.